Bottled water documentary inspires Carroll students to cut back

October 4, 2011

WAUKESHA, WIS.— The documentary “Tapped,” a thought-provoking film about the bottled water industry and its effects on health, climate change and pollution, will be shown at Carroll University on Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2011. To view the film trailer, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vyu07JM78M

The 75-minute film will begin at 7 p.m. in the Stackner Ballroom of the Campus Center, 101 N. East Ave., Waukesha. A question and answer session will follow, led by faculty members who will speak to the legal regulations involved, potential health impacts and harmful chemicals that are found in bottled water. This event is free and open to the public.

On display will be a collection of water bottles gathered in just a few weeks, a visual representation of single-serve bottled water usage on Carroll’s campus. Jake Eisch, area director of Frontier Hall, said the Residence Life staff purchased reusable Brita water bottles that filter the water as it is consumed to provide students with an alternative to mass-produced bottled water. Brita states that one of its reusable bottles saves more than 300 disposable bottles. “We bought 36 Brita bottles, so that means we are saving the use of approximately 10,800 water bottles,” Eisch said.

Students who attend the film showing will earn an alternate convocation point. They also will have the opportunity to win prizes, including the reusable Brita water bottles, an underwater camera, fair trade products and other eco-friendly items.

These activities are part of the university’s yearlong exploration of WATER: the essential element of life on earth, an interdisciplinary-themed series that will explore our relationships with water on personal, regional and global levels. During the 2011-2012 academic year, the Carroll community will examine how water informs cultural, environmental, spiritual, economic and political issues. For more information, visit www.carrollu.edu/water.